Batting

Lynchburg, Va. -- The Lynchburg College softball team ended the regular season on a solid note as they defeated Old Dominion Athletic Conference opponent Bridgewater by scores of 3-0 and 1-0, the latter in eight innings.

On the second day of their four-game weekend homestand, the Hornets received tremendous starting pitching in both games. Senior right-hander Conner English (Altavista, Va.) threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout in Game 1 as she recorded her ninth win of the season. It was English's first shutout of the year.

Game 2 featured freshman right-hander Kayley Cox (Yorktown, Va.), who went eight innings in her second shutout effort of 2018. Cox allowed just two hits while striking out five Eagles batters in her fifth victory of the season.

Junior third baseman Taylor Mabry (Bassett, Va.) drove in the game-winning run in the nightcap with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth.

With the doubleheader sweep of the Eagles to conclude the regular season, the Hornets wrap up the No. 3 seed in the upcoming ODAC tournament. LC finished with an overall record of 28-10 and 12-6 in the league. Lynchburg finished the season ranked first in batting average (.352), second in home runs (31), and second in runs scored (237). The Hornets defense played solid during the entire regular season as Lynchburg College ranked third in the league in fielding percentage (.963).

THE RUNDOWN

Game 1: Lynchburg 3, Bridgewater 0

Game 2: Lynchburg 1, Bridgewater 0 (8 inn.)

Records: Lynchburg (28-10, 12-6 ODAC), Bridgewater (15-23, 3-15 ODAC)

Venue: Moon Field, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1

A first-inning RBI double off the bat of junior first baseman Mackenzie Chitwood (Ferrum, Va.) scored senior center fielder Skylar Dickens (Virginia Beach Va.) in order to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, senior second baseman Leslie Bourgeois (Bealeton, Va.) grounded into a double play that enabled Chitwood to score from third base for a 2-0 Hornets lead after one inning.

The Hornets tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, when sophomore designated player Sarah Commons (Glen Allen, Va.) reached on a fielder's choice to score Chitwood from third.

Game 2

The Hornets played in their fourth extra-inning game of the season as both Lynchburg and Bridgewater failed to score a run throughout the first seven innings of action. Dominant pitching by Cox and BC's Keirsten Kennedy won the day.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, Mabry stepped up with the bases loaded and one out, and she proceeded to line the walk-off single to center to bring home senior pinch runner MacKenzie Mount (Forest, Va.) and set off the celebration.

Cox held the Eagles hitless for the first two innings and went on to hold Bridgewater hitters to a 2-for-26 performance on the day. Both hits for Bridgewater came from third baseman Stephanie Carroll.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lynchburg will learn who it will face in the first round of the conference tournament when the league announces the bracket later this week. The tournament begins Friday, April 27 at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.